Late Vehicle Registration Fees
Failure to register a vehicle on time results in a $25-per-month late fee after the 90-day period during which initial registration was required, up to $100 total. Vehicle owners must pay the taxes and fees to register the vehicle and pro-rated taxes and fees from the date the vehicle should have been registered to the date the owner registered the car. A supplemental unregistered vehicle fine may be imposed if a person is convicted of misdemeanor, knowingly failing to register a vehicle, within 90 days of becoming a resident of the state.
Exemptions from the late fee include vehicles that are:
- used for operating a commercial business and were idled for a full registration period;
- owned by military personnel serving outside Colorado when the grace period for renewal has passed and the vehicle is not operated on a public highway until re‑registration; and
- stolen, and the registration expired during the time, or duration of, the theft.
The division may establish rules for additional exemptions including:
- acts of God and weather-related delays;
- office closures and furloughs;
- medical hardships; and
- information technology failures.